Seek Truth On 1980 Hostage Deal

February 8, 1992

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the ``October surprise`` of 1980 is that it never happened.

With candidate Ronald Reagan riding high in the polls and incumbent President Jimmy Carter stuck with a can`t-do label, Republican campaign strategists` greatest fear was that a late diplomatic gambit would free the 52 American hostages held by Iran.

Despite evidence that Iran had tired of the game and was ready to make a deal, however, October passed with no breakthrough. Reagan was elected in November and the hostages finally were released on his inauguration day.

For a dozen years, persistent rumors have alleged Reagan`s handlers conspired with Iran to postpone release of the hostages until after he was elected. Six years ago, it was disclosed that White House operatives did arrange for the shipment of American weapons to Iran via Israel in the mid-1980s, with proceeds from the sales diverted to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives decided to seek the truth of the 1980 allegations in a 217-192 party-line vote that touched off cries of ``foul`` from Republicans, who suspect an attempt to embarrass President George Bush during his re-election campaign. Certainly there is an element of partisanship, but this mystery has gone unsolved for far too long.

If the Reagan campaign staff did make a secret deal with a foreign enemy that resulted in the prolonged captivity of American citizens, it will deserve censure for an act tantamount to treason. If not, it should have its record cleared of suspicion.

Reagan, Carter, Bush and several former hostages all have expressed support for a search for the facts. If the special panel to be chaired by Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., works expeditiously, it could announce preliminary findings by mid-summer, well in advance of the November presidential election.

The investigation should proceed in a spirit of fairness and objectivity. Americans have a right to know whether the ticking ``October surprise`` of 1980 was really a time bomb fused to explode 12 years later or just another political dud.